Union Station

My first time in DC’s Union Station (there are many - Denver, Chicago, Indianapolis, and St. Louis, to name a few), I was sprinting to catch a train to Raleigh, bags flailing in my arms, probably resembling a frantic Spongebob more so than Carrie Bradshaw or Selena van der Woodsen. Wasn’t much chance to take it all in.

But it wasn’t until I revisited over the weekend when I realized I had definitely missed out.

Opened in October of 1907, our train station was designated an official landmark in 1964, but after years of substantial deterioration, Congress passed the Union Station Redevelopment Act in 1981. The facility then underwent a major overhaul ($160 million) in ‘83.

Today, it's a city hotspot in DC, attracting travelers and shoppers alike throughout its massive array of retail stores, eateries, and coffee shops. The architecture is remarkable, with expansive archways outside its entrance, a newly-renovated Main Hall with more magnificent archways in the ceiling, and sweeping staircases inside.

There’s no doubt a place this grandiose has a way of making you feel quite small.

Bless. My. Soul.